Wives and Husbands
1 In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God's word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word, 2 because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is. 3 You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. 4 Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight. 5 For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands. 6 Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.
7 In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
Suffering for Doing Right
8 To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. 9 Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. 10 As the scripture says,
“If you want to enjoy life
and wish to see good times,
you must keep from speaking evil
and stop telling lies.
11 You must turn away from evil and do good;
you must strive for peace with all your heart.
12 For the Lord watches over the righteous
and listens to their prayers;
but he opposes those who do evil.”
13 Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry. 15 But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, 16 but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God's will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, 19 and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. 20 These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, 21 which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
Bakadzi ne balume
1 Sa ikoko namwibo bakadzi, muzwiyise pasi kwe balume benyu, kuti ndizo bamwe, nenguba basingagalemoyo mu dama, bangawongiwa nge mazwiibhato e bakadzi babo kuzhe kwe dama, 2 ha bebona bubuyanana ne kuteta mu mazwiibhato enyu. 3 Kuzwinakisa kwenyu ngakusibe kuzwinakisa kwa kuzhe, kunolukiwa mavudzi kuzwinakisiwa nge golide nenge kuambala zwiambalo zwakanaka, 4 koga kunaka kwenyu ngakube kwe tjamukati ne kusingalobe kwe bubuya gwakalulwama gwe kudzikama kwe meya, iyo inodika kwazo mu mesho e Ndzimu. 5 Ntolo, bakadzi bakayengemala, bakabe begalabgwe mu Ndzimu bakabe bezwinakisa nge kuzwiyisa pasi kwe balume babo, 6 sa Sara akabe ehwa Abhurahama, en'dana eti She. Ngono ngwenu mu bana babe ha mushinga ndulamo, kusina tjamunoletja tjikamutjisa.
7 Sa ikoko namwibo balume, galani ne bakadzi benyu nge kuhwisisa muziba kuti nkadzi iye wakabumbiwa asina matatabuko. Mubatete ngobe mu bagali thaka mose be butjilo gunozha nge ngoni. Kuti ndizo mitembezelo yenyu kushaye tjayidzibilidza.
Dziyidzigwa kushinga ndulamo
8 Tjebupelo, mose bhatanani mu meya ne mu kuhwilana zogwadza ne kudana se zwikamu, mube ne moyo wakanaka ne njalakang'wa dzina kuzwiyisa pasi. 9 Musibgwilizile bubi nge bubi, kene kutuka nge kutuka. Koga bumo gwa ikoko kombolelani, nge kuti nditjo tjamakadanigwa, kuti ndizo muwane makombolelo. 10 Ngoti,
“Iye unoda butjilo
ne kubona mazhuba akalulwama,
ngaaduse lulimi gugwe mu bubi,
ne nlomo uwe usilebe butjebeli.
11 Ngaashanduke mu bubi, ashinge ndulamo,
ngaashake mbakiso aitizhilile.
12 Ngoti mesho a She amu balulwami,
kakale banohwa mitembezelo yabo
koga She banofupatila ibabo banoshinga mbipo.”
13 Ndiani ungakuhwisa zogwadza, ha mutukutilila tjakalulwama kene? 14 Koga nenguba mungadziyidzigwa ndulamo, maka kombolegwa. Musitje nge kwabo, kene mukadziyidzika, 15 koga mu mimoyo yenyu, yengemadzani Kirisiti sa She. Mugale makazwilulwamisila kudabila mmwe ne mmwe unowobe emubhuzwa ngekwe kugalabgwe ku mu muli, mukuthame nge bunyolo nenge kuteta. 16 Mube babuyanana mu hana dzenyu, kuti ndizo ibabo banomutukila mazwiibhato enyu mabuyanana muna Kirisiti, babhakhwe nge shoni. 17 Koyita kudziyidzigwa ndulamo, ha kuli kuda kwe Ndzimu, pana kudziyidzigwa mishingo mibi, 18 ngobe Kirisiti wakafila zwibi zwedu tose kang'ompela, nlulwami efila basakalulwama, kuti atiyise ku Ndzimu, kabulawa mu tjinyama, koga kamusiwa mu Meya, 19 yakayenda ikanosumikilila meya imu busungwa, 20 iyo yakati ntolo ikasihwe, Ndzimu pawakabe wakalinda nge moyonlefu mu nsi wa Nuwa, mu kubakiwa kwe ikepe; kwakati bathu bashomanana, bali zhanakadzi bakatjidziwa nge vula. 21 Etji tjakabe tjili ifano tje kudubikiwa tjinomutjidza ngwenu, kusi nge kudusa shambgwa imu mbili, koga kuli kumbila hana mbuyanana ku Ndzimu jidzo nge kumuka kwa Jesu Kirisiti 22 iye wakayenda kudzimu, kakale watjibe ku luboko gwe luji gwe Ndzimu ne batumwa be kudzimu ne batungamili ne bana masimba, bose banhwa.